Eviction Notice Periods by State: Nonpayment, Cure and Termination
LeaseHelper EditorialStatutes as citedPer-row provenance shown
Quick Answer
Before a landlord can file an eviction, a statutory notice has to run — and it is a different clock for nonpayment, for a curable lease violation, and for simply ending a month-to-month tenancy. 39 of the 51 US jurisdictions have notice periods we drafted directly from the statute cited on the row. Among those, the shortest nonpayment notice is three days (California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming; Oregon's 72 hours runs from a trigger rather than the due date) and the longest is fourteen days (Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington). Washington requires a statutory ground before any month-to-month termination; California, Colorado and Oregon require one only after a stated period of occupancy. The remaining 12 jurisdictions are our working record and are badged Our record — verify rather than dropped. Serving the wrong notice is the most common way an eviction gets dismissed, and in most states the clock restarts from scratch when it happens.
Free ToolSkip the table: the free notice period calculator gives you the required period for nonpayment, a curable violation, ending a month-to-month tenancy, or entering the unit — with the statute citation, and the count of days where the statutory period is an unambiguous number of calendar days.
This is a state-by-state reference for the three notice clocks that decide whether an eviction filing survives: nonpayment of rent, a curable lease violation, and ending a month-to-month tenancy. Each row cites the controlling statute and links to the notice calculator with your state pre-selected. Where a cell says Not in our record, that means we hold no separate figure for it — it does not mean the state gives no cure right. Rows we drafted directly from the cited statute are badged Cited to statute; rows that are our working record are badged and hedged rather than removed.
Eviction notice periods — all 50 states + DC
Cited to statute drafted directly from the statute cited on the rowOur record — verify our record, not yet re-verified — confirm before relying on it
Tiered notice to quit (§13-40-107): ≥1 yr 91 days; 6 mo–1 yr 28 days; 1–6 mo 21 days; 1 wk–1 mo 3 days; PLUS for-cause law (C.R.S. §§38-12-1301–1305): covered tenants (≥12 months) may not be nonrenewed without cause; no-fault grounds need 90-day notice
Notice equal to the hiring interval, max one month, either party (§43-32-15); tenancy at will: landlord 15-day notice to quit (§43-8-8; 2 months if tenant/family on active military duty)
No written agreement (monthly): 60 days (≤2 yrs residency) / 90 days (>2 yrs), weekly 21 days; WITH written agreement: 30 days before end of term (≤2 yrs) / 60 days (>2 yrs), week-to-week 7 days
How to read this table.Nonpayment is the notice that must run before an eviction can be filed for unpaid rent; where the statute counts court days or business days rather than calendar days, the cell says so. Curable violation is the separate cure period for a breach other than nonpayment. Ending month-to-month is the termination notice for a periodic tenancy, which in several states is now unavailable without a statutory ground. Not in our record means we hold no figure for that cell — it does not mean the state gives no such right. Record status: Cited to statute rows were drafted directly from the citation shown; Our record — verify rows have not been re-checked and are hedged. Local rules and rent-regulated units can differ. Read the cited statute before serving anything.
Three clocks, not one
The single most expensive mistake in a self-managed eviction is running the wrong clock. They are governed by different statutes and they behave differently.
Nonpayment. Usually the shortest and usually a pay-or-quit notice: the tenant can stop the eviction by paying within the period. Some states count the period in court days rather than calendar days, which lengthens it in practice — California's three days are court days under CCP §1161. Oregon measures from a trigger rather than the due date: 72 hours once rent is eight days late, or 144 hours once it is five days late (ORS 90.394).
Curable lease violation. A separate and usually longer period, and often a two-number rule — a cure window plus a shorter deadline to actually vacate if the breach is not cured. Where this column says Not in our record we hold no separate figure; read the cited statute, because most states do provide a cure right.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy. This is not an eviction at all in most states — it is a termination notice — but it is increasingly the clock that has changed. Several states now tie the period to how long the tenant has lived there: Colorado runs 91 days after a year, 28 days between six months and a year, 21 days between one and six months (§13-40-107). Pennsylvania splits at 15 days for a tenancy of a year or less and 30 days beyond that (68 P.S. §250.501).
The states where “no reason” is no longer available
The largest structural change in this area is not the length of a notice period — it is the disappearance of the no-fault termination. It arrives in two forms, and conflating them is a mistake:
A ground is required from day one. Washington: just cause is required, and the notice period is then cause-specific (RCW 59.18.650).
A ground is required only after a qualifying period. California attaches just cause and relocation assistance after twelve months of occupancy for covered units (Civ. §1946.2). Oregon allows a no-cause termination in the first year on 30 days' notice and then requires cause or a qualifying landlord reason with 90 days (ORS 90.427). Colorado's for-cause law covers tenants of twelve months or more, with 90 days' notice for no-fault grounds (C.R.S. §§38-12-1301–1305).
And two more where our record says the same but is not verified. Our records for District of Columbia and New Jersey describe a no-fault bar — the District of Columbia's as enumerated causes only, New Jersey's as just cause only. Both are badged Our record — verify in the table; read the statute before relying on either.
If you manage in one of these states, a correctly counted 30-day notice with no stated ground is still a defective notice.
What actually gets an eviction dismissed
Counting calendar days where the statute says court days or business days. California counts court days; Florida counts business days for the three-day nonpayment notice (§83.56); Nevada's record uses judicial days.
Serving a pay-or-quit notice where the statute requires a demand or an intent-to-file notice first. Maryland's record describes a 10-day notice of intent to file; Missouri's describes a demand for rent with no fixed statutory period. Both are unverified records — read the statute.
Including a fee or a charge that is not rent in the amount demanded. Overstating the amount is a standard defence, and in most states it means starting over rather than amending.
Missing a separate statutory duty that runs alongside the notice. New York's 14-day rent demand sits next to a certified-mail late-notice duty under RPL §235-e(d).
Using a month-to-month termination notice in a just-cause state. See above.
What is the shortest eviction notice period for nonpayment of rent?
Three days, in California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The count is not always calendar days: California counts three court days under CCP section 1161, and Florida counts three business days under section 83.56. Oregon is shorter in raw hours but runs from a trigger rather than the due date — 72 hours once rent is eight days late under ORS 90.394.
Which states require a reason to end a tenancy?
Washington requires a statutory ground for any month-to-month termination, on a row drafted directly from the cited statute (RCW 59.18.650). Three more require a ground only after a qualifying period: California after twelve months of occupancy for covered units (Civil Code section 1946.2), Oregon after the first year (ORS 90.427), and Colorado for tenants of twelve months or more (C.R.S. sections 38-12-1301 to 1305). Our records for District of Columbia and New Jersey describe a no-fault bar as well, but those rows are unverified — read the statute before relying on them.
Does a cure period apply to every lease violation?
No. Cure rights are generally limited to curable breaches, and most states carve out conduct that cannot be cured — serious health and safety violations, criminal activity, and in some states repeat breaches within a fixed window. Where this table shows no cure figure for a state, that means we hold no separate figure, not that the state provides no cure right; read the cited statute.
If the tenant pays after the notice is served, does the eviction stop?
For a pay-or-quit notice, generally yes, if the full amount demanded is paid within the notice period. That is what "pay or quit" means. After the period expires the answer becomes state-specific, and accepting a partial payment can waive the notice in some states — which is why the amount demanded has to be exactly right.
Can the lease shorten the statutory notice period?
Rarely, and never in the tenant-protective direction in most states. Texas is the notable exception in this dataset: its three-day notice to vacate can be modified by the lease under section 24.005. Elsewhere, statutory notice periods are typically floors that a lease clause cannot waive.
Why do some rows say "our record — verify"?
Because that row has not been re-checked against the current statute. Rather than delete the state — which would read as "this state has no notice requirement" — the row is shown, badged, and phrased as our record instead of as settled law. Rows badged as cited to statute were drafted directly from the citation shown on the row.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about state landlord-tenant law and is not legal advice. Rows marked “Cited to statute” were drafted directly from the statute cited on that row and are our reading of it, not an independent attorney review; rows marked “Our record — verify” are our working record and have not been re-checked against the current statute, so confirm them before relying on them. Local ordinances can be stricter than the statewide rule. Laws change — read the cited statute before acting, and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for your situation. Dataset compiled 2026-07-08.